


Right in Front of You

by pieceofshir



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, F/F, F/M, Fluff, How Do I Tag, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:08:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27688061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pieceofshir/pseuds/pieceofshir
Summary: Castiel and Dean are both teachers, and the whole school ships it. The senior class decides to spend their school year trying to set them up.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester, Kaia Nieves/Claire Novak
Comments: 18
Kudos: 77





	1. Part 1

Freshman always had gym first period on Thursdays, because it never failed to make Coach Dean Winchester laugh.

There was something so sadistically satisfying about standing out in the cold at 7am, drinking his hot coffee while the kids ran laps. He’d been at the school for eight years and it still made him smile to watch these kids think this was as bad as it gets, knowing full well they had Novak for history next and he was about to hand their asses to them.

Dean smiled, looking out past the kids to where his baby was parked next to Castiel Novak’s monstrosity. Cas had almost punched him at the last faculty Christmas party for calling that thing a pimp-mobile. Since then, a few of the other teachers had been secretly placing bets on when the two would get together.

Dean huffed a quiet laugh to himself at the thought. As if Novak would ever. The guy barely spoke two words to anyone who wasn’t a student or standing in between him and the coffee machine.

Dean’s phone buzzed, and he pulled it out to see a text from his younger brother Sam.

‘Hey, gonna have to take a rain check on Saturday. Work :(‘

Dean scowled as he put the phone away. He and Sam had been planning to check out a car show that was in town for the weekend, and now he had an extra ticket, and no friends who appreciated cars the way he did.

“Alright,” he called out to the sweaty kids after checking his watch, “You have maybe ten minutes before the bell, hit the showers!”

The kids all filed into the building, barely sparing him a glance. Damn, he couldn’t wait for the senior class at three. Those kids were always fun.

Dean followed the kids in, making a beeline for the teacher’s lounge. With classes still going on for a short while longer, he should be able to get a few minutes of peace.

“Dean!”

Or maybe not.

Forcing a smile onto his face, he turned to see Charlie Bradbury, the art teacher who was way too invested in that Winchester/Novak bet. He liked Charlie, she was sweet enough, but lately she only ever wanted to talk about his love life. He could only assume she was running out of time to win the pot.

“Any big plans for the weekend?” She took the seat next to him, sliding him a Deanish from the bakery down the road.

Dean grabbed it, taking back every bad thought he’d ever had about his colleague.

“Was gonna go to a car show with Sam, but she bailed.” He took a bite out of the pastry, stifling a groan. “Y’know,” Charlie smiled while he chewed, “Castiel really likes old cars. Maybe you could ask him?” Dean fixed her with a glare, smirking a bit when her innocent facade faltered. “Oh, come on!” She tried, “It’s better than letting a spare ticket go to waste. Besides, he seems helpful. And dreamy.” She added slyly. Dean rolled his eyes. “Stop trying to set me up with Novak.” He grumbled, “The guy’s a dick, and he wouldn’t know a good car if it crashed into his shitty pimp-mobile” Charlie laughed. “Well, maybe you could use this as an opportunity to educate him?” She tried, “Just, like, think about it, okay? If not for you, then for him. He needs to get out more, and I think you two actually have more in common than you think.” She glanced at the clock. “Listen, I gotta go, but Castiel should have a few minutes in between classes. Please, just ask him.” She paused, waiting for an answer.

Dean groaned. “Jesus, if I ask him, will you just leave?” She squealed, giving him a quick hug and saying something else about this being good for them, before rushing out to get to unlock her classroom before first period ended.

He spent a few more minutes silently scrolling through Facebook, thinking about what Charlie said. He liked a picture of Sam with his girlfriend Eileen, pausing to stare at how happy his baby brother looked. He remembered how happy he had been that day when he’d come home from school, proudly announcing that he’d met the woman he was gonna spend the rest of his life with.

He wanted that.

Steeling himself, he headed out the door, turning down the hall, and made his way to Castiel’s classroom.

———

“-And don't forget, papers due on Tuesday!”

The class groaned. “What,” Castiel asked innocently, “None of you want to spend your first weekend back writing about the Industrial Revolution?” 23 kids gave him matching looks of annoyance. “Well, what are your plans for the weekend, Mr. Novak?” Anna, one of his best students, was smiling sweetly. The class was looking at him expectantly. He knew how much they liked to hear about his personal life, seeing as he barely had one.

“Well, I’ll probably just be watching movies with my cat, and eating-” the door swung open, cutting him off.

“Hey, Cas, any chance you- oh.” The class was looking back and forth between Castiel and their gym teacher, who was standing with one foot in the classroom.

“The, the bell rang a few minutes ago. I thought...” Dean trailed off, embarrassed. “No, no, please.” Castiel motioned for him to come in. “These miscreants were just running off to their next class, right?” 

No one moved.

“Now, or you'll all be writing those essays in detention.” He laughed as the kids scrambled out of their seats. Dean waited silently until the last one had left, doing his best to ignore their whispers.

“He calls him Cas? That's adorable!”

“Did you see the way Coach was smiling as he walked in?”

Once they were gone, he closed the door behind them.

“Sorry, the seniors always like to stay after class to talk.” Castiel glanced over at Dean while he gathered up his belongings. With the kids gone, he didn’t feel the need to act so... peppy. He was fully aware that both teachers and students alike joked about his gravelly voice and cold demeanor, but it was often useful for keeping people out of his way.

“Yeah, no, I get it. They’re the same with me.” He pitched his voice up, imitating one of the students. “Coach B, when did you know you wanted to spend your life yelling at sweaty kids?” Castiel rolled his eyes, “That’s not very nice, Dean.” “Hey, some of those kids aren’t very nice” He protested. “Those freshman are brutal, aren’t they?”

“Mhmm.” Castiel hummed noncommittaly. One of them had forgotten his name and accidentally called him ‘Professor Green Eyes’. He then had to break it to the the girl that he was not a professor, and his eyes were blue.

Dean stood there, looking lost. “So, Cas, I-“

“What did you need?” Castiel asked. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Dean, he did, it was just that, well, people didn’t tend to like him very much. It was easier to simply keep his distance. Dean faltered. “I, uh, you like cars, right?” Castiel nodded, glancing out the window where his Continental Mark V was parked. “Well, I have an extra ticket to this car show on Saturday, would you... like to come with me?” Dean was doing his best to look at anything that wasn’t Castiel. He raised an eyebrow, debating. He actually had been looking forward to watching re-runs with Marble, but now Dean was looking at him expectantly, and he really did like cars. Dean drove a gorgeous black 67’ Impala, and Castiel wasn’t about to miss an opportunity to get his hands on that.

The car.

Decision made, he shrugged. “Sure, yeah.” He tried for indifference. Dean’s eyes widened, like he had been expecting a gentle rejection. “Oh, cool!” He began backing away as the next class started filing in. Sophomores. “Yeah, so, I’ll text you, okay? I, do I have your number? Of course I do, why wouldn’t I-” he jumped as he bumped into a boy. “Shi- shoot. Sorry. I, uh.” He sent Castiel a helpless look. “I’ll text you. Cas.” And he nodded once, turning on his heel and all but running out.

Castiel smiled to himself, marking the date in his planner as the class finished taking their seats.

“Alright, then.” He stood up, effectively silencing all the chatter and speculation about what Mr. Novak and Coach Winchester were planning. 

“Let’s talk World War One.”  
\------  
Claire slid into a seat in the cafeteria, dropping her tray unceremoniously. "Did you hear the news?" She smirked at Jack Kline, who was staring at her. "Hello? Anyone home?" She shrugged, taking a bite of her sandwich. "Your dad asked mine out on a date."

Jack looked around, trying to figure out what business Claire Novak had with him.

Wait.

"My dad, Dean Winchester?" He asked, "That dad? Asked a real life human out on a date?" Dean had adopted Jack after his mother passed away, nearly fifteen years ago. He hadn't been on more than three dates that entire time.

"That dad." Claire confirmed. "And my dad, Castiel Novak, agreed."

People were casting glances at the pair. They'd been in the same class since the fourth grade, yet they'd hardly spoken two words to each other.

"Do they... know, that it's a date?" Jack felt stupid even asking, but then he thought about his dad, and figured it was a safe question. "Listen," she lowered her voice, "I think this could be really good for both of them." 

"So, no, is what I'm hearing."

Claire sighed. "Probably not." She agreed, "But I made a promise to myself. I can't leave for college until I know my dad's gonna be okay." She narrowed her eyes at him. "Jack," she smiled sweetly, though her tone was icy. "I have every intention of leaving for NYU next year. So you're not going to do anything to sabotage this, are you?" Jack held his hands up in surrender. "Hey, I want my dad to be happy, too. If you think Mr. Novak can do that for him, I'm okay with it." She nodded once, turning at the sound of her name being called. Her friends were waving her over. "I'll be in touch, Kline." She spun on her heel, leaving her half eaten sandwich on his table.

She'd been gone for maybe a minute when his friend Kevin took the seat she'd been in. "Dude, what did Claire Novak want with you?"

Jack looked over Kevin's shoulder, across the cafeteria to where Claire was now sitting with her friends, a soft smile on his face. She caught his eye, and winked.

"I wouldn't worry about it." He raised his drink to his lips.

"Yet."


	2. Part 2

Castiel had nothing to wear.  
His entire wardrobe was strewn across his room, and he was standing in the middle of it all, feeling helpless. And for what? He didn’t care what Dean Winchester thought about him  
And yet.  
And yet, he’d changed his outfit three times already. From his usual suit and tie, to jeans and a t-shirt, and then back to a simple white button down with black slacks.  
And yet, he was so nervous he felt like he might combust.  
And yet, he couldn’t stop thinking about how happy Dean had looked when he’d agreed to go out.  
And yet-  
“Add the blue sweater.” Claire spoke from behind him, making him jump slightly. “It brings out our eyes.” He turned to her, and she sighed. “What’s going on, dad?” She moved the one pair of jeans he owned aside as she took a seat on the bed, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this.”  
Castiel smiled over at her. “That’s because the last time I was this nervous was the day I met you.” He dodged her first question, not wanting to admit to his daughter just how nervous he was.  
Claire rolled her eyes, smiling fondly. Her dad loved to talk about the story of her birth, and especially loved to jokingly remind her that she cost him around 100,000 dollars just to make her exist. “Blue.” She repeated, finding it on the bed and handing it to him. Castiel nodded, wordlessly accepting it and pulling his shirt off. “The brown shoes and belt.” She added, pulling out her phone. She scrolled through her chats until she found Jack Kline’s- Or was it Kline-Winchester? She never bothered to ask- number in their grade group chat.  
‘Sure hope Coach Winchester is less of a nervous wreck than my dad lol’  
\- - -  
Dean Winchester was a nervous wreck.  
Jack had been watching his dad ‘fix’ his hair for maybe twenty minutes. He was already on his second bowl of cereal. Finally, his dad turned to him, an expectant look on his face. “You look fine, dad.” He reached for the box of Cookie Crunch, but stopped when he saw Dean’s face morph from Nervous Guy Before A First Date to Tired Dad. “Jack, what did we say about the cereal?” Jack hung his head, embarrassed. “Two bowls a day, max.” He intoned. Dean nodded, tossing him an orange from their fruit bowl. Dean hesitated, before turning back to the mirror. “Maybe I should change?” He asked, tugging at his jacket self consciously, “Maybe I’m overdressed.” Jack eyed his black shirt and gray slacks. Mr. Novak wore a suit and tie to teach high schoolers every day. Dean could wear a ball gown and probably wouldn’t be overdressed next to him. “Roll the sleeves up.” He suggested, nodding in satisfaction as his dad complied.   
“Don’t you have to meet him soon? Do you even have time to change?” Dean’s eyes widened, looking down at his watch. He had five minutes before he needed to leave, and he still had to find his shoes.  
Where were his shoes?   
“They’re by the door.” Jack called over without looking, as he pulled out his buzzing phone.  
‘Sure hope Coach Winchester is less of a nervous wreck than my dad lol’  
Jack glanced over to where his dad was debating between combat boots and dress shoes. “Put the boots back, dad!” He scoffed, turning back to his phone.  
‘He spent twenty minutes on his hair, and I just told him he can’t wear combat boots with slacks. How bad is Mr. Novak?’  
“Who’re you texting?” Dean paused in the doorway. Jack smirked up at him. “Everyone. I’m planning a party the second you get going already.”  
Dean rolled his eyes, coming over to plant a quick kiss on the top of Jack’s head. “You don’t have enough friends for a party.” He joked, walking away.  
The phone buzzed again.  
‘Changed his outfit three times, and I think I can hear him giving himself a pep talk in the bathroom’   
Jack barked out a laugh.  
“Alright,” Dean reappeared with his wallet, leaning against the island. Jack stood, walking over to him. “I don’t know when I’ll be back, but as soon as I’m home I wanna go over your English paper, so make sure you work on it, okay? And if I’m not home by five, order some pizza.” He held out a fifty, which Jack accepted. “You can have Kevin over, maybe one other friend. Please don’t be stupid.” Jack rolled his eyes. “Seriously,” Dean continued, “If you drink, don’t drive. If you- just be safe, okay? Promise?”  
Jack wanted to laugh, but something in his dad’s eyes stopped him. It had been years since he’d left Jack alone for very long. They did everything together. “Dad,” Jack said comfortingly, “It’ll be okay. I promise.” Dean smiled, pulling him in for a hug. “But you gotta promise to be safe, too.” Jack joked. “And use protection.”  
“Jack!” Dean shoved him away, turning a bright red. “Have fun!” He called out as Dean finally waved goodbye. “Don't forget to take Miracle out!” The dog perked up slightly at his name being called, before curling back up on the couch he'd been napping on.  
As soon as he heard the front door shut, he grabbed his phone again.  
‘The Impala is en route.’  
‘Dork.’  
Thirty minutes later, he was on the couch with Miracle, playing MarioKart and debating whether or not he could convince Kevin to do his English project for him, and if his dad would even fall for it, when he heard a knock at the door, causing Miracle to run over, barking loudly.  
He opened the door, shocked to see Claire, her backpack slung over her shoulder. “Coach told my dad you’re working on your English paper, and you’re getting pizza.” She walked right past him, dropping her bag unceremoniously on the table. “So, now we’re working on our English papers and getting pizza.” She eyed Miracle, who had jumped up on a chair, and was waiting to meet the stranger in his home. “Cute dog.” She added, letting him sniff her hand. “Thanks.” Jack closed the door, still trying to figure out what was going on. Their dads were going on one date, why was she being so nice to him? “You gonna sit down?” He snapped out of his thoughts to see that she already had her laptop and textbook open. He shrugged. Why not? Claire always got great grades, she could help him write 5000 words about his perfect day.  
He nodded, sliding into the seat across from her. “Alright then.” She looked down at the assignment.  
“Tell me about your perfect day.”


	3. Part 3

Being with Dean was so easy, and the thought was absolutely terrifying.  
The conversation had flowed easily between the two for the entire drive out to where the show was set up. They talked about work, sharing stories from their respective classes. Castiel told Dean about his cat, who Claire had found on the side of the road a few years ago and begged him to keep, and Dean had laughed, because he had done the same thing to Jack the day he found Miracle. They talked about their time at University, and Dean told him that his degree was actually in sports therapy, and he’d minored in education. His plan had been to work in rehabilitation with injured soldiers, but after adopting Jack he decided he wanted something that could help him learn more about kids. Castiel told him he’d always wanted to teach history, and he did everything in his power to make sure it was Claire’s favorite subject, but he lost her to cheerleading. “Hey, don’t act like it’s some tragedy.” Dean laughed, “I see her practice when I’m with the football team. She’s crazy strong.” Castiel smiled. He’d been to every game since she joined the squad, of course, and this year she was team captain. “She’s awesome at dodgeball, too.” He added, “I’ve had to make a rule, no one’s allowed to pick her first. Has to be at least the third round.”   
She’d never told him that before.   
The two talked a bit more, about the freshman class, about the last faculty meeting, about how awful Vice Principal Marv Scriver was, before Dean pulled his car into the lot. He smirked to himself at the looks sent their way.   
Baby was the best.   
——  
Not even fifteen minutes in, Dean was struggling to look cool around Castiel.   
Dean had been so ready to impress Cas with his encyclopedic knowledge of cars, some of which he may or may not have googled compulsively until very late, but the guy was on another level. He was animatedly telling Dean everything about the inside of the 1963 Aston Martin, pointing out parts of its engine that he had never even heard of. If it were anyone else, it might have bothered him, but he was honestly just content to smile and listen. Cas was clearly having a blast.  
“You sure know a lot about cars.” A voice cut off Cas’ explanation about the guy they named the DB series after. He turned to see a guy not much younger than him, who carried himself with such confidence. ‘He does not have the bone structure to be looking that smug.’ A voice that sounded suspiciously like Claire whispered in his head, and Castiel found himself agreeing. “Maybe you could tell me more over a drink?” he leaned closer, eyes slowly drifting up and down Cas’ body. He took a half step back, glancing between Dean and this guy, tilting his head in confusion. “I’m sorry,” he tried to be polite, “I’m here with someone.”  
“Someone.” Dean repeated gruffly, raising his hand and glaring at the stranger. The man huffed. “Well, if you change your mind, I’m Alfie.” Cas opened his mouth to decline, but Dean stepped forward. “He won’t, so why don’t you quit while you’re so clearly behind?” He snapped. He gave Alfie a small shove backward, and grabbed Cas’ hand, dragging him away before Alfie could react. “Come on.” He said, tugging insistently, “There’s a fuckin’ Continental over there.”   
Well, Dean must be really upset if he was willing to listen to him nerd out over a Continental.  
“Hey,” he hesitated, causing Dean to stop and turn to him in concern, “Are you okay?”  
Dean sighed, and whatever fight was in him seemed to just disappear. “I’m sorry.”  
apologized, “I just... I’m used to being the overprotective friend whenever douchebags like that hit on Charlie.”  
Castiel tried to keep his expression neutral. Of course Dean was just playing a part. “Right.” He said flatly, “Of course.”  
Dean continued leading him, oblivious to Cas’ hopes sinking. “Go on.” Dean gave him a little nudge when they reached the car, amirking playfully, “I know you’re just dying to tell me all the reasons this piece of junk can pass as a car.” Castiel laughed, pushing his worries to the back of his mind.   
He could enjoy an afternoon out with his friend.  
——  
Jack and Claire were curled up on opposite ends of the couch, a half eaten pie of pizza in between them. They both managed to make some progress with their English papers, but planning a perfect day in at least 5000 words was turning out to be harder than Jack had thought. He also didn’t fully understand why he had to work on a project due in May when it was only September. After nearly three hours of brainstorming, they’d both agreed that the perfect day would start with waking up at 7am, but fully rested, so you could fit as many fun things as possible in the day. They’d given up fairly quickly after that, patting themselves on the back for at least having any kind of direction, which was definitely better than most of their class, judging by the WhatsApp group. So, they’d ditched the essays in favor of ordering the pizzas, which led to a debate about whether pineapple was a valid pizza topping (it wasn’t), and they turned on New Girl for background noise while they talked.  
“Hey, no,” Claire protested, “They’re all really nice! You should come sit with us sometime, you’d really like them.” She could already picture how her friends would absolutely melt over Jack’s kind smile and naïveté. “Or you could come sit with me and Kevin.” He suggested. “Maybe.” She smiled. They ate quietly for a minute, watching Jess and Nick scream at each other about whatever it was they were mad about this time.  
“Never thought it would take our dads dating for us to hang out.” Claire mused, taking a bite of her second slice, “We could’ve been awful at writing essays together for years.” Jack rolled his eyes, smiling. “Do you really think they’ll start dating? Like, actually dating?” He tried to hide his excitement. His dad tried so hard to never let Jack worry about him, but they’d lived together for fifteen years. He knew his dad was lonely, he could see the faraway look Dean would get whenever they watched cute couples on T.V. “I think so,” Claire said with a shrug, “they’re on a date now, aren’t they?” Jack thought about it. “What if they really don’t know it’s a date?” He asked, “Oh, come on.” Claire gave him a light shove, “They aren’t stupid.”


	4. Part 4

Dean felt so stupid.  
After a full afternoon at the car show, where Castiel absolutely blew him away with everything he knew about cars, Dean took him to the Roadhouse for a burger. They’d talked for hours, but just as he pulled into the Novaks’ driveway, fairly confident the night had gone well, when Cas turned to him with a soft smile. “I had a lot of fun today.” Dean brightened, but before he could say anything, Cas continued, “it’s nice to have a friend.”  
Friend.  
Dean’s smile faltered for a second, but he managed to keep it intact. “Friend.” He repeated, “Right. We’re friends.” He nodded. “Just... friends.”  
Cas unbuckled his seat belt. “Just friends.” He repeated. They sat in silence for a minute, until Cas finally spoke up again. “Well,” he hesitated, “I’ll see you at school?”  
“Yeah.” Dean watched as he opened the door, “See you at school.  
——  
Just friends.  
Castiel closed the front door, immediately bending down to scoop up the black blur that pounced on his leg. “Just friends.” He scratched behind her ear, “God, I’m so stupid.”  
“Dad?” Claire appeared in the doorway to the living room, looking around, “Who are you talking to?” Castiel looked sheepish, holding up Wednesday. “The cat.” He straightened his back, as though that would make him sound slightly less insane, “Like a normal person.” She stifled a giggle, reaching out to take her. “So did you have fun on your date?” She asked in a sing-song voice as she led them back into the living room. He stiffened, glancing around nervously. “Coach Winchester and I are just friends, Claire.”  
Claire froze, trying to keep her voice casual. “Just friends?” She repeated, taking a seat on the couch and pulling out her phone, doing her best to look disinterested. “Just friends.” Castiel confirmed, glancing down at his watch. Half past eleven. “Go to bed at a reasonable hour?” He tried, “I’ll think about it.” Claire shot him a smirk over her shoulder, turning the T.V on and flicking through Netflix. He sighed, hanging his head. “Worth a shot.” He muttered, turning and trudging up the stairs. He just wanted to sleep until Monday morning.  
Claire waited until she heard her father’s door shut, and then opened her text chain with Jack.  
‘Just friends?!’  
——  
“Jack. Hey, buddy.” Dean gently nudged the teen, who was curled up on the couch that was just a bit too small for him, fast asleep. “There you are.” Jack opened his eyes, blinking slowly up at him. “Dad.” He mumbled, curling into himself. Dean smiled softly, reaching out to cup Jack’s face, laughing lightly at the way the boy yawned. “You’re a bit too big for me to carry you to bed, y’know.”  
“M’not.” Jack protested weakly, but he pushed himself up nonetheless. “Did’ja have a good time?” He asked, stretching with a groan. “Did you?” Dean countered, smirking at the pizza box filled with crusts on the ground. He picked it up as he stood, and Jack nodded, rubbing at his eyes. “Claire and I got some work done, and then we just... hung out for a while.”  
Dean raised an eyebrow. “And how do we feel about Claire?” Jack tilted his head, confused. “We...” he furrowed his brows, “we feel like you just went on a date with her dad?” Dean tried to laugh it off, folding the box and tossing it into the can. “Not a date, kiddo.” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jack frown down at his phone. “Not a date?” He repeated, putting the phone back in his pocket. “Cas and I are just friends.” Dean returned to the living room, holding out a hand to help Jack stand up. “Bedtime, little one.”   
“‘M almost as tall as you.” Jack muttered sleepily, leaning into Dean as he led them towards the stairs. “Kid, you’ll always be my little one.” He chuckled, turning to press a soft kiss to Jack’s hair, helping him up the stairs. “‘Kay.” Jack whispered, eyes already closing. Dean nudged the door to Jack’s bedroom open with his foot. “You gonna change into pajamas?” Jack collapsed wordlessly onto the bed, reaching out for the little bear Dean was supposed to pretend he never slept with. “Right.” He nodded, covering him with the blankets. “Sleep tight, Jack.”  
He kept his breathing even until he heard the door close, waiting until Dean’s footsteps retreated before snapping his eyes open, pulling out his phone to text Claire.  
‘Turns out they are stupid’  
——  
“Jack!” Claire motioned for him to take the empty seat next to her. He felt a few of their classmates’ eyes on him as he sat in the back of the room. “How was he?” She asked, doodling absentmindedly in her notebook. Jack looked away, embarrassed. “He thought you and I were on a date.”   
Her eyes widened, and she let out a nervous laugh. “Jack, I’m...” she trailed off. “I told him we’re friends.” He offered her a kind smile, “And not in the way he and Mr. Novak are. Real friends, who don’t secretly like each other.” Claire nodded, eyes flicking to a girl in the front of the room. “Besides,” Jack smirked, “I don’t think I’m quite your type.”  
“Shut up.” Claire huffed, reaching over to punch him lightly in the shoulder. The two shared a quiet laugh as their teacher walked in, greeting the class. “So what do we do?” She whispered. Jack shrugged, turning his attention to the board.   
“We help them out.”


End file.
